Why Do Old Farmers Tell Us August Is The Best Time To Buy a Farm?

It’s that simple country wisdom, coming from years of dependence on the rhythms of Mother Nature that causes old farmers to say that the time to buy a farm is August. Experience has taught us that one will typically get a better picture of land’s potential, the opportunities it offers and challenges it poses at the end of the growing season.

While this August has been full of dreadfully hot days, fewer people are looking to buy land. Spending hours touring a property in the sun during these unbearable days may not be appealing to most buyers. So, if you feel the competition for your listing is lessening, remain steady until those cooler days, and buyers will once again be turning their thoughts towards purchasing farm land.

The density of the foliage will show where the soil is rich and where it is thin and marginal. Whether it’s a stream, stocked pond or spring, you get a true picture of what kind of water supply you can count on at that critical time at the end of a long hot summer before the fall rains begin.

At that time of year, you will be able to see if there are overgrown areas that you want to reclaim or bring back into production. The crisp and cool days between the first frost of the fall and the last frost in spring are the best time for that kind of work. Visibility is better due to the foliage being gone, and you can do more work in less time as well as having those areas ready for the next growing season.

Also, you’ll be able to see where you may need to maintain or create a wildlife habitat and start a long-term wildlife plan. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “the years teach much which the days never knew,” and so it is with buying a farm late in the annual cycle.

You see the whole picture then it’s the sum of the good days and the bad days; the rainy days and the sunny days. The way the land reacted to the previous growing season is a great indication of how it will respond to your efforts in the future.